Sheet-controlling apparatus



Dec. 19, 1922.

H. E. LINDBLADH. sum commune APPARATUS.

FILED JAN-13, I921.

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HARMON El LINDBLADH, OF BROOKLINE,.MASSACHUSETTS.

' To all whomit/md concern:

Beg-it known that I, HARMON BLADH, a citihen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Shee tus, of which the following is a specification.

1n the suppl ing of sheets of such material as paper to m are to be operated up machines, when this hand, it is customarceedmg sheets, the r hein beneath that following it.

of rulin machines ar mally upon the its progress, and then turning to normal to definite time-relation nism. just caught promptly and gate for like release. thus overlapped,- the second sheet is just a preceding, it may in its travelwith the con veyor get caught beneath the leading sheet; in that case it slides beneath gate without being ar respect to the rul ng mechanism is lost, and If the distance between. increased somewhat to avoid this result, the may before the forward end ofthe sheet reaches it, and then fall upon'the sheet-surface, de-

the sheet spoiled. ad acent sheets is stroying the timin stance. A still furt between the sheets may avoi I at the sacrifice of considerable time, Automatic feeders areso Ol'gitffllfQCl ruling, but

7 conveyors by which the sheets are advanced, contactingwith the forward edge of each sheet totemporarily stop When the sheets are overlapped, as indicated, their control may be 'acconn plished accurately and efficiently; The gate rises to release the sheet, and then falls upon its surface,the released sheet being drawn under it by the conveyor, sheet resting upon that just mentioned is er increase of the space SHEET-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

LIND- of Norfolk feed, introducing t-Controlling Apparamachine supplied by to provide with such apparatus achines in which they on, for example ruling feeding is effected by y to overlap the sucear extremity of each The gates e arranged to rest northeir delivery To prepare sheets 1y placed at one side 0 quickly lifting andreyancing release the sheet in a to the ruling mechain feeding. to dimensions, in pressing the sheets flies must bear upon a while the next with certainty by the If, instead of being forward edge of this t the rear of the sheet their forward corners the lowered rested, the timing with further object rise a gain ing censiderably as in the previousntd their miscussed, in effectively lapping process= thatthey cannot overla their rate of delivery is'not uniform. sequently, to avoid the waste of stock by incorrectruling, the practice is to slow the a time-loss, which fre-- c uently decreases the efficiency of the ruling over twenty-five per resent invention is 55, means, combined particularly as ruling machines, to automatically overlap the sheets before to the machine supplied, said means being capable of operating upon sheets of different, lengths. I

fed for delivery in the correct transverse relation'to a mechanism; which is to act upon them, there is commonf the conveyor ad them to such mechanism, a gagewall, against which the sheets are forced during their travel by light spring-fingers, known as flies, contacting with the opposite edges of the sheets from the gage. [This arrangement introduces serious difficulties Sheets are not cut accurately as and, of course, to be effective against the gage, the I 11 with some pressure. This pressure may deform the edges of the sheets, particularly the wider,

sometimes catch thesheet upon t to be badly ht, narcent. An object of the p against the first fly, twisting the conveyor, and causing i ruled. If a lighterpressure issoug rowsheets will not be held to the gage, and

the ruled lines will be misplaced.

of the invention, means which will, under all usual conditions, assist rather than interfere with the feed of the sheets during their ga will functionate properly W1 in width. means is of peculiar utility incon'nection with the overlapping means previously dispositioning sheets which may have beendis'placed in the over 3 the sheets, and

Con-

and

Asa

ging, and which th sheets differ- This gaging I furnishroll 21.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating a particular embodiment of my invention.

Figure l is a perspective view of my ;in1- proved apparatus, parts being broken away; Fin". 2 a hmgitiulinal section theretlnough, showing a portion of the receiving' end of a ruling top plan and its driving mechanism.

Like reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In oppositely spaced, suitably supported side-frames 10, 10 are journaled, near the ends, rolls 1.1 and 12 over which operates a conveyor. preferably iiurnishedby spaced. tapes 13. is applied in any convenient.manner toadvance the upper runs of the tapes in the direction oi the arrow in Fig. Tnis conveyor may receive at. one end sheets delivered by any feeder, as that disclosed in my Patent No. 1,258,028, dated hilarch 5., 1918. This machine is not here illustrated. A the opposite end the (JOUVQVOF discharges sheets upon the cloth or conveyor .l-jl: of a ruling machine. of which, in addition to the cloth, there are shown only the receiving rolls 15, 15 and the gate 16 with its operating cam 17. The elements appearing corre spond to those of the machine of Patent No. 1.2%2823, issued in n1 v name on October 9, 1917. Between the rolls 1i. and 112. slidii'ugin ways 18 at the inner sidespoi' the frames 10, are opposite bearing biocks l9. l9, and in these blocks are journaled trixnsversee v extending rolls or guide members 20 and 21' located upon opposite sides of the conveyor. These rolls are i'lisplaced both longitudinally of the frame and vertically (the roll 21 beingbelow and in advance of its companion. f a result of this. the upper run of the conveyor. in passing over the roll 20, is directed downwardly from its approximately horizontal line o'i travel into a lower plane in proximity to the under run of the conveyor, and then passes beneath the and again 'l orwardly in a genera-fl horizontal plane. which may be paralle to that of the portion at the rear of the roll 2 h'huuued toturu in the side-frames '10, at opposite sides of the heal-hip blocks ii), are

shafts 22. on rich of which is mounted a pair oi pullevs E2 23. ureter L olvlyiug within the way-s 18. (her a longitudinally aiined pulleys of these pairs opci bchs v 24;, 2a, the upper ends of which arc cured at 25 to the tops of the bearing blocks. The

under runs oi the'helts 24: are shown as passuur t rough recesses 2tin the lower side oi the blocks. Upon one (it the shafts 22 is fixed a crank 28 to enable the operator to turn. the shaft conveniently, and by the contact of its pulleys with the belts 2%, shift the bearing blocks simultaneously in one ll'llCl'liDG; and Fig. 3 is a detail in tl- 't t-b 1 new OL 10 10 a a .c u ung Q-vlCG To oneof these rolls. as-ll, power by the gate 16 of the direction'or the other along. the frame. the rolls 2!), 21 travel together, this will be accomp ished without disturbing the conveyor. or varying its tension, it merely changing the relative lengths of the two (lif ierently elevated portions of the upper run of the conveyor l3. To avoid accidental displacement of the rolls after they have been thus set, a screw 29 may be threaded through one of the side-i ranies for contact at .its inner end with the adjacent face of a pulley 23.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that asheet, as that designated by the letter A, is advanced along the conveyor-tapes 13 and isstopped ruling machine, partly upon the lower portion of the conveyor 13 and partly upon the conveyor 14:. it may there'he held while the succeeding sheet B, traveling upon the upper portion of the conveyor 13, is projected over it. Then, as the grate rises and permits the ad ance of the sheet upon theronveyor 14;, as indicated at C, the two sheets It and B will travel together at the same speed, but with the overlap which has been created during the period of rest of the :iorward sheet. lVhen sheets of another length are to be fed, the position oi the rolls 20, 21 may be suitably altered by looseningrthe screw 29 and turn ingy; the cranl: 2a in one direction or the other to change the ,sgjiace betw. n the rolls 20. Qi and the gate. By this fiLljUl-EiIHT-Qilt the overlapping;- oi sheets of any dimension may readily be effected.

it one side and extending along the lower po on of the upper run of the conveyor 13, is a member I), presenting an inner vertical wall for contact with the edges of the sheets fed. This gage is'prelerably adjustabletoward and from the conveyor. beilre,- mounted upon. a bracket 31 niovably secured to the side-frame, a variaticiai in its position corres iondinirly changing the presentation ot' t e sheets to the ruling mechaiin. (it the opposite side or the path of the sheets from the page ll) is a rotatable contact device. hicludiirca dish 32 turning about its vertical axis on a support 32-3 ar ranged to slide on a crossbar ilgl extei'lding bchvccu the ilra.uic'-.\'alls. The slide may be iifiek in pos ti n upon thohar :it any desired point by asctascrew '1 i. which .5 have illustrated as thrc; led tl much the under side 0! the suliiliiijirt. and contac' at i inn r with the adjacent surrarc olf the bar. .liisingr iron! the upper tare ol' the dish, above the tapes.- are fingers or g'n'ojeciious 336, which may be flexible il desired and which are ecccinirically placed. ill. these lingers, tour are shown, symmetrically spaced about theperiphery oi the dish. This latter eleinentis groin ed to receive a belt 37, which passes from it outwardly and i and finally horizontally downwardly over a pan: of pulleys 3S, journ'alcd in a bearing uponthe iippersurface of the bar 34,-, then beneath the support, upwardly over-the pulleys 89,39 rotatably mounted near the opposite end otthe bar, about a pulley 40, turning about a vertical axis upon the support 33 adjacent to the disk 32. Fixedto the shaft of the pulleys 39 is a pulley 41, driven by a belt from some. Convenient source of power, so that the disk 32 will rotate. in the direction oi the :arrow in Fig. 3. a y

In using this gaging device, the gage having been correctly placed, the set-screw 35 isiloosened, and the disk 82 is so set with respect to the gage, that when a finger B6 is nearest it, the space between; the two elements will be less than the narrowest sheet. The distance to thefingers on each side of this may be greaterthan anyof the sheets operated on: This adjustment, it is to be observed, takes place-without interference with the action of thezbelt 87, the amount which this is shortened at one side in thefmovement of e the support being compensated for bythe simultaneous lengthening of the portionbat the other side. The spaced tapes furnishing the conveyor allow theicontactjdevice to'be positionedzat any chosen point, the fingers passing hetweentheni. Now as each sheet reaches the rotating meinber, the revolving fingers successively tap its adjacent edge, with a slight yield if they are flexible, and in doingso, move with it, so that instead of their resisting-its advance, this is facilitated. This tapping actiongradually, and without deforming the edge of the sheet, moves the opposite side" into contactwith the gage. 30, truing said sheet for delivery to; the ruling mechanism, i

I claim:

1. The combination with a plurality of means for successively advancing. sheets,

each oi said means causing: theadvance of the sheets at substantially the same speed, of means associated with one of the advancing means for overlapping the. sheets,1and means associated with the succeeding ad-- vancing means for stopping the advance of the sheets.

2. The combination with an endless sheeti conveyor havingv upper andlower rui'1s oi adjacent .rolls contacting r spectively with the inner and outer surfaces of the upper run to furnish differently elevated portions thereof, a conveyoifibelt receiving sheets from the lower portion of the upper runlot theeonveyor, and amovahle gate nori'nally contacting with said belt and arranged "for engagement with sheets resting upon both the conveyor'and thebelt.

- 3; In combinatiomr-an overlapping apparatus having advancing means for the overla ped sheetsyand ruling machine proy vided with a belt arranged to receive the sheets from the overlapping apparatusand advancethem at'substantially the same speed thereas and-with a gatearranged to engage a sheet which is under the influence of both the advancii'ig means of the overlapping apparatus and of the ruling machine belt.

*4. "Thecomhinationwith a plurality of means for successively advancing sheets, each of said means causing theadvance otthe sheets at substantially. the same speed, of means associated with one of the advancing means for overlapping the sheets, means as sociated with the succeeding advancing means for stopping the advance of the sheets, and means arranged to vary the distance between the overlapping means and stopping means {in accordance With the dimensions of the sheets to be overlap 38d. I

5. In a sheet-contro ling apparatus, a trame,.opposite bearings movable along the frame, rolls journaled in the'bearings, an

endless conveyorarranged to travel alongthe frame and passing between the -olls, pulleys mounted upon the-frame at opposite sidesof the'bearings, and belts passing over the pulleys, 'each-beltloeing connected to abearing.

6;ln a sheet-controlling apparatus, a frame, opposite bearings: movable along the frame, rolls journaled in the bearings, an endless conveyor arranged to travel along the frame and passing-between the. rolls,

slia'i'ts journaled inthe frame at opposite' sides of the bearings, a pairot' pulleysfined on each shaft in ZilillGlllQllilWVlijh the bearings,

and a belt passing over the pair of pulleys. at each side of the frame and having both ends secured to a corresponding bearin 7. ln asheetecontrolling apparatus, means for advancing the sheets, a gage co-operating vwith one edge of the itClVdIlClDgfsllQQtS, a

contact devic'e for jco operation withthe opposirte-edge of the sheets, and. 3 means for moving the contact portion of said device in the direction of advance otthe sheets.

8. Ina sheet-controlling apparatus, means for advancing the. sheets, a gage co-operating with one edge of the advancing sheets, acon tact device for co-operation with the opposite edge oi the sheetsgand means for moving said device in contact with the sheets and in the direction of theiradvance;

91 in a. sheet-eontrollin apparatus, means for advancing the sheets, age (to-operatin with one edge of the adv ncing sheets, a rotatahle contact device for cosoperation with the opposite edge of the sheets, and means for rotating said device.

10. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, means ior advancing the sheets, a gage co-operating with damage the'advancing sheets, a rotatalole, yieldable contact device for co-operation with the opposite edge of the sheets, and means for rotating sa d device.

11.1111, a sheet-controlling apparatus, means for advancing the sheets,,a plurality of contact members arranged for co-operation'with one edge of the sheets, and means for revolving the members into successive contact with the sheets.

12. In a sheet-controllingapparatus, means for advancing the sheets, a gage co-operating with one edge of the advancing sheets, and a plurality of revoluble members arrranged to contact with the opposite edge of the sheets. v 7

13. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheet-conveyor, and a movable member having an eccentrically placed projection extending above the sheet-carrying surface of the conveyor and arranged to contact with an edge of each sheet.

14;. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, .a sheet-conveyor, and a movable member having an eccentrically placed flexible projection extending above the sheet-carrying surface of the conveyor and arranged to contact with an edge of eachsheet.

15. In a I sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheet-conveyor, and a movable member having a plurality of projections extending above the sheet-carrying surface or the conveyor, and arranged for successive contact with an edge of each sheet' 16. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheetrconveyor, and a movable member having a plurality of projections extending above the sheet-carrying surface of the conveyor and arranged for successive contact with an edge or" each sheet opposite that adjacent to the gage.

17 In a sheet-controlling apparatus, separated sheet-conveying members, and av rev oluble member projecting between the conveying members for contact with an edge of the sheets. i

18. In a sheetcontrolling apparatus, means for advancing the sheets, a gage cooperating with one edge of the advancing sheets, a rotatable contact device. for co-operation with the opposite edge of the sheets, and means arranged to vary the position of the contact device transversely of the con veyor. I

19. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheet-conveyor, a movable member having an eccentrically placed projection extending above the sheet-carrying surface of the conveyor and arranged to contact with an edge of each sheet, andmeans arranged to vary the position of the member transversely of the conveyor. 1

20. In a sheet-coi1trollin means for advancing the sheets, a gage cooperating with one edge ofthe advancing sheets, a contact device for co-operation with the opposite edge of the sheets, means arranged to vary the position of the contact device transversely of the sheets, and means apparatus,

for moving said device, the .moving means with the opposite edge.

. portion upon a sheet resting being constructed and arranged to maintain a'uniform effect for all positions of the device. i

21. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheet-conveyor, a support movable transverselyof the conveyor, and a movablevcontact'device mounted upon the support.

'22. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheet-conveyor, .a support movable transversely of the conveyor, a rotatable contact device mounted upon the support, and means I arranged to fix the supportin different positions.

23. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheet-conveyor, a support movable transversely of the conveyor, a movable contact device mounted upon the support, a driving belt for the contact device, and pulleys guiding the belt and being mounted at each side of the support and on said support.

24. In a sheet-controlling apparatus, a sheet-conveyor, a support -movable transversely of the conveyor, a movable contact device mounted upon the support, a pair of pulleys situated at each side of the support, a pulley mountedv on said support, and a driving belt co-operating with the device and traveling over the pulleys.

25. The combination with an endless sheet-conveyor, of means associated with the conveyor for overlapping the sheets thereon, a conveyor-belt receiving the sheets from said sheet-conveyor, and a movable gate contacting with said belt and arranged for engagement with i the overlapped sheets resting upon both the conveyor and the belt.

26. A sheet-controlling apparatus comprising means for advancing the "sheets, means associated with said advancing means for overlapping the sheets, a gage co-operating with one edge of an overlapped sheet, and a movable contact 27. A sheet-controlling apparatus comprising means for advancing the sheets, said advancing means having sheet-carrying portions lying in difi'erent planes and being arranged to project a sheet from the upper uponthe lower portion, and a gage and rotatable contact device co-operating with the sheets upon the lower portion.

' 28. A sheet-controlling apparatus comprising an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs, means for changing'the .di-

rection of advance of the upper run downwardly and then forwardly, and gaging means co-operating with the sheets upon-the forwardly advancing portion of said upper run. I

A sheet-controlling apparatus comprising an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs, means for changing the direction of advance of the upper run down- Wardly and then forwardly, means *for temdevice co-operating i porarily stopping the advance of the sheets upon the forward portion of said upper run,

and gaging means co-operating with the sheets between the dlrection-changing means and the stopping means. i p

30, A sheet-controlling apparatus comprising an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs adjacent rolls contacting respectively with the inner and outer sur- 1 0 faces of the upper run to furnish'difi'erently elevated portions thereof, a movable gate acting uponthe sheets on the lower portion,

and a gage and rotatable contact device co operating with opposite edges of the sheets between the rolls and gate. 1

folk and State of Massachusetts,this 11th 15- Signedat Boston, in the county of Suf- 

